習わせて / しょうがない / 行って / たとえられる / こと / ロボちゃん

[eeky]

Hello,

1. 子ども： お母さん、わたし、ピアノが習いたいの。お ねがいだから、習わせて。
母： そんなに習いたいなら、しょうがないわね。習い に行ってもいいわ。

a) Is 習わせて an imperative, "let me learn"?

b) What is the nuance of しょうがない? How does the mother feel about the child's request?

c) Does 行って literally mean "go somewhere (to learn)", like going to visit a tutor, for example?


2. 人生は自分が主人公のドラマにたとえられる。

Is たとえられる passive ("Life is compared to...") or potential ("(One) can compare life to...")?


3. 山田さんは奥さんのことを何と呼んでいるんですか。

Is the speaker addressing Mr Yamada, or talking about him indirectly, or could it be either? (There is no further context, it's an isolated example sentence.)

In what sense is こと used here?


4. I'm recapping a story about a man, Mr Tanaka, who builds a drink-making robot after the women in his office refuse to make his tea for him any longer. Then the women start using the robot too. The robot can speak, but his speech is not always exactly correct:

女性A: ロボちゃん、わたし、コーヒーのブラックがほしいわ。持って来てちょうだい。
ロボット： はい、ただいま、持たせます。
女性A: え？だれに？待たせるって、まさか、田中さんに、持た せるんじゃないでしょうね。ロボちゃん、そのときは、 「はい、お待ちします」って言うのよ。
女性B: ロボちゃん、わたし、冷たいジュースがいいわ。持って来てね。
ロボット： はい、お待ちします。

My translation:

Woman A: Robo-chan, I want a black coffee. Bring one, will you?
Robot: Yes, I'll get someone to bring it right away.
Woman A: Huh? Who? There's no way you'll get Mr Tanaka to bring it, right? Robo-chan, in this situation you should say "Yes, I'll bring it".
Woman B: Robo-chan, a cold juice would be good. Bring one, will you?
Robot: Yes, I'll bring it.

Is this correct? Amongst any other things that might be wrong, my doubts concern the meanings of 持たせます, 持たせる, and お待ちします and their subjects/objects: who is being caused/allowed to do what by whom?

And is it right to translate this verb as "bring" here, even when no ～来る is attached?

Also, I am unsure whether ただいま means "I'm here" or "right away".

 

[Toritoribe]

1) a)
Yes, it's an imperative usage of the -te form of the causative of 習う.

b)
"It can't be helped." She is reluctant to accept her daughter's request.

c)
Yes. If they are going to ask a private tutor to come to their house, 習いに行く isn't used.

2)
The former. The particle should be を instead of は for the latter case.
（我々は）人生を自分が主人公のドラマに/だとたとえられる。

EDIT:
On further reflection, the potential seems possible also for は. I have to say both interpretations are possible.

3)
Either talking to Mr.Yamada or third person are possible.

こと indicates the target of an action or emotion here. It's the same usage as 君のことが好き.

３ 心情や動作の向かっている対象。「君の―が好きだ」「 家族の―を大切にする」

「こと」の検索結果 - Yahoo!辞書

4)
Your translation is excellent! As you interpreted correctly, 持たせる is a causative and therefore suggests the existence of the (unmentioned) causee. So woman A asked "Are you going to make Mr. Tanaka bring it?"

And is it right to translate this verb as "bring" here, even when no ～来る is attached?

Yes. お待ちします is used as a humble expression of 持ってきます.

Also, I am unsure whether ただいま means "I'm here" or "right away".

The latter, as you translated.

 

[eeky]

Hi Toritoribe, thanks very much for your help.

 

[Glenn]

I think お待ちします should be お持ちします, no? It certainly appears that way from the context and the interpretations.

 

[eeky]

Yes, sorry, my typo. 待 should be 持.

 

[Glenn]

Those two are so easily confusable, because not only do they look very similar (only differ in significs (ﾅ兎vs.扌)), but the kun-yomi only differ by one vowel (matsu vs. motsu).

 

[Toritoribe]

I, too, didn't notice it at all.